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Michael Sam embraces a new opportunity in football beyond the U.S. as he continues building his unique career path

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 8:24 PM ET

A former draft pick and NFL player for the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys, Michael Sam has a new opportunity in football. On Wednesday, the ex-defensive end reached a deal to become the defensive coordinator for the Porto Velho Miners, from Brazil.

It's the third coaching opportunity of Sam's career. He spent four seasons in Europe, three as the assistant defensive line coach for the Barcelona Dragons, and one as the defensive line coach for the Panthers Wroclaw, both from the European League of Football. He also coached for the Barcelona Pagesos. Now, Sam gets a higher job to coach in a smaller league—even though Brazil has been a growing market for football, receiving NFL games in consecutive years.

"This is an investment in our coaching staff. The main reason we brought him in is the experience he brings as a former player, especially at the college level," Rafael Vieira, Miners' director of recruiting told A to Z Sports. "Of course, his time with NFL teams—being part of the Rams and Cowboys rosters—adds a lot of value to the organization. His level of commitment is incredible. What he's doing with our players, the way he's raising their level on the field, is simply unbelievable."

In 2025, the Miners will play the Brazilian Football Super League, the result of a merge between BFA (a national league) and the Brazilian National Championship.

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This is how the Miners announced the signing:

"The pick is in. . . Michael Sam⏳

The 2025 Miners season is going to be one for the history books! And to help write this chapter, we’re proud to announce the newest addition to our coaching staff: Michael SAM!

Sam is a well-known name in the global American football community. He was a standout at Mizzou with the Tigers, earning All-American honors, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and First-Team All-SEC. In 2014, he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 249th overall pick, making his mark in the NFL.

Sam has also been part of elite teams in Europe, including the Wroclaw Panthers, Barcelona Dragons, and Barcelona Pagesos, where he built his career as a Defensive Coordinator. Now, he joins the Miners Sports team to take our defense to the highest level of football.

Welcome, Sam! Proud to be a Miner!"

Michael Sam became the first ever publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL. At the time, no active player in the league had come out publicly. He spent some time with the Rams, where he played some preseason games, and with the Cowboys' practice squad in 2014, but never made a 53-man roster and never played a regular season game.

Sam saw the field for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League in 2015, and then retired for a few years before having a new opportunity to play in Spain. He spent a year with the Dragons as both a player and assistant coach before making the transition to a full-time coach in 2023.

Now, Sam's unique and beautiful journey has a new chapter. And it will be in Brazil.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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